Laundry machine

ABSTRACT

The present application relates to a laundry machine, which comprises a tub ( 10 ) to receive wash water, a drum ( 30 ) rotatable placed in the tub ( 10 ), a shaft connected with the drum ( 30 ), a bearing housing to rotatable support the shaft, a motor to rotate the shaft, a suspension unit to reduce vibration of the drum ( 30 ) and a heater securing part ( 113, 122 ) expanded to an outside of the tub ( 10 ) from a lower part of the tub ( 10 ). The heater securing part ( 113, 122 ) is configured to install the heater ( 150 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a laundry machine, more specifically,to a laundry machine which has an improved structure to improve washingefficiency.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, laundry machines are electric appliances which remove variouskinds of contaminants attached to clothes, beddings, cloth items and thelike (hereinafter, laundry) by way of a friction force of water currentsgenerated by rotation of a drum and a shock applied to laundry includingclothes and the other items. A full-automatic laundry machine releasedin recent has a series of cycles including a washing, rinsing,dry-spinning cycle which are implemented automatically.

In stead of pulsator type laundry machine having a tub rotatable in astate of standing vertically, drum type laundry machines having littleproblems of entangled laundry and a lot of wrinkles generated in thelaundry have been more and more popular recently.

As a structure of such a drum type laundry machine mentioned above isdescribed schematically, the drum type laundry machine includes acabinet configured to define an exterior appearance thereof, a tublocated in the cabinet to receive wash water, with being supported by adamper an a spring, and a cylindrical drum located in the tub to receivelaundry therein. The drum receives a driving force from a driving partto implement washing for the laundry loaded into the drum.

According to the structure of the drum type laundry machine mentionedabove, the drum is rotated to wash and dry-spin the laundry loadedtherein and it is vibrated because of the rotational force of the drumand eccentricity of the laundry. The vibration generated by the rotationof the drum may be transmitted outside via the tub and the cabinet.

Because of that, a spring and a damper are provided essentially betweenthe tub and the cabinet to prevent the vibration transmitted to the tubfrom transmitted to the cabinet.

The drum type laundry machine mentioned above may be installed in anexisting installation circumstance, for example, in a sink or built-incircumstance, not installed separately. As a result, the size of thedrum type laundry machine may be installed limited to be adjustable toits installation circumstance.

As mentioned above, it is limited for the structure of the spring anddamper dampening the vibration of the tub and the cabinet to change aninner structure of the drum type laundry. As the installationcircumstance of the laundry machine is limited, it is limited to changethe size of the laundry machine.

A lot of researches and developments have been in progress to improvewashing capacities of laundry machines for user convenience and theincreased washed laundry amount. However, it is difficult to enlarge thesize of the tub in the conventional drum type laundry machine toincrease the washing capacity, because of the limitation conditionmentioned above.

As a result, laundry machines having various types of structures havebeen under development to improve the washing capacity as mentionedabove.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem

To solve the problems, an object of the present invention is to providea drum type laundry machine having a new structure, different from theconventional laundry machine, specifically, a drum type laundry machinehaving a new heater securing part in a tub different from theconventional laundry machine.

Solution to Problem

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with thepurpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, alaundry machine includes a tub configured to receive wash water; a drumrotatably installed in the tub; a shaft connected with the drum; adriving part comprising a shaft connected with the drum, a bearinghousing configured to rotatably support the shaft and a motor configuredto rotate the shaft; a suspension unit configured to support vibrationof the drum suspendingly; and a heater securing part expanded to anoutside of the tub from a lower part of the drum, the heater securingpart configured to install the heater configured to heat the wash watertherein.

The heater securing part may be formed by recessing a predeterminedportion of a front lower part of the tub in a backward direction of thetub.

A flat par may be formed in the front lower portion of the tub accordingto the recessing of the heater securing part.

A hole configured to secure the heater thereto may be formed in a frontsurface of the heater securing part, below the flat part.

A water wall rib may be formed above the flat part to form a path of thewater leaking from the front part of the tub.

The water wall rib may have a center which is convex upward.

The heater securing part may be a sump configured to collect wash watertherein.

The tub may include a tub front configured to form a front part of thetub and a tub rear configured to form a rear part of the tub, and theheater securing part may include a front heater securing part formed ina lower part of the tub front and a rear heater securing part formed ina lower part of the tub rear.

The front heater securing part may be formed by recessing apredetermined portion of a front surface of the tub front in a backwarddirection of the tub front.

The front heater securing part may be getting more and more obliquedownward along a backward direction.

A drainage hole may be formed in a center of the rear heater securingpart to drain the wash water there through.

Both sides of the rear heater securing part may be oblique upward withrespect to the drainage hole.

The heater may be obliquely installed to locate a rear end thereof belowa front end thereof.

The suspension unit may be connected with the bearing housing. Here, thesuspension unit may include a supporting bracket extended toward a frontpart of the bearing housing in parallel to the shaft and a cylinderdamper configured to support the supporting bracket.

The laundry machine may further include a rear gasket configured to sealbetween the tub and the driving part to prevent wash water from leakingbetween the tub and the driving part and to allow the driving part torelative-move with respect to the tub. The tub may be supported by thesuspension unit more rigidly than the drum is supported.

In the meanwhile, according to the laundry machine, the tub may befixedly installed or supported by a flexible structure such as thesuspension unit. Or the supporting of the tub may be in the middle ofthe suspension supporting and the fixed supporting.

That is, the tub may be supported flexibly by using the suspension unitwhich will be described in detail in the description of the invention,or it may be supported more rigidly than the flexible supporting. Forexample, the tub may be supported by the suspension unit or a rubberbushing which can give a predetermined flexible motion to the tub, lessflexible than the support by way of the suspension unit. Or the tub maybe fixedly installed.

Examples of tubs supported more rigidly than the supporting of thesuspension unit will be followed.

First of all, a predetermined portion of the tub may be integrallyformed with the cabinet.

Second, the tub may be connected and supported by a screw, rivet, rubberbushing and the like or fixedly welled, adhered or sealed. In this case,the rigidity of the suspension unit is stronger than the rigidity ofthese connecting materials with respect to a vertical direction which isa main vibration direction of the drum.

Such the tub may be enlarged in a possible limited installation space.That is, the tub may be enlarged to be adjacent to a wall or frame,which limits the horizontal size of the installation space, with respectto at least a right and left direction orthogonal to a shaft directionif the shaft is horizontally installed. Here, the tub may be integrallyformed with a right or left wall of the cabinet.

The tub may be closer to the wall or frame than to the drum in the rightand left direction. For example, the tub may be 1.5 times or less asdistant from the wall or frame by as from the drum. In the state of thetub enlarged in the right and left direction, the drum may be alsoenlarged in the right and left direction. As the right and leftdirection distance is getting smaller between the tub and the drum, thedrum may be enlarged in the right and left direction as much. The rightand left direction vibration of the drum may be put into considerationto reduce the right and left direction distance between the tub and thedrum. As the right and left direction vibration of the drum is gettingsmaller, the diameter of the drum may be enlarged more. As a result, theright and left direction rigidity of the suspension unit configured tosuspend the vibration of the drum may be larger than the other directionrigidity. For example, the rigidity of the suspension unit with respectto right and left direction displacement may be the maximum with respectto the other direction rigidity.

Furthermore, the suspension unit may be directly connected with thebearing housing configured to support the shaft connected with theshaft, different from the suspension unit connected via the tubaccording to the conventional laundry machine. That is, the bearinghousing may include a supporting part configured to support the shat andan extending part extended from the supporting part. The suspension unitmay be coupled to the supporting part or the extending part of thebearing housing.

At this time, the suspension unit may include a bracket extended withrespect to the shaft direction and the bracket may be extended forwardto the door.

The suspension unit may include at least two suspensions distant fromeach other in the shaft direction.

The suspension unit may include a plurality of suspensions installedbelow the shaft to standing-support a supporting object, for example,the drum. The suspension unit may include a plurality of suspensionsinstalled beyond the shaft to hang the supporting object thereto.According to these cases, suspensions are provided only below or beyondthe shaft.

The gravity center of the vibration system including the drum, shaft,bearing housing and motor may be located in at least predeterminedportion adjacent to the motor with respect to a longitudinal shape ofthe drum.

At least one suspension may be in front or rear of the gravity center orsuspensions may be installed in front and rear of the gravity center,respectively.

The tub may include an opening formed in a rear part thereof. A drivingpart including the shaft, bearing housing and motor may be connectedwith the tub via a flexible material. The flexible material seals theopening formed in the rear part of the tub to prevent wash water fromflowing out of the tub via the opening and to enable the driving part torelative-move with respect to the tub. Such the flexible material may beany flexible material which can seal, for example, gasket material suchas front gasket. In this case, the flexible material may be named asrear gasket corresponding to the front gasket. The connection of therear gasket with the driving part may be implemented in a rotationalconstrained state with respect to the rotational direction of the shaft.According to an embodiment, the rear gasket may be directly connectedwith the shaft or it may be connected with the extending part of thebearing housing.

A predetermined portion of the driving part which is located in a frontconnection with the rear gasket only to be exposed to wash water may bemade of anticorrosive material. For example, the portion may be coatedor covered with an auxiliary plastic-made part, for example, a tub backwhich will be described in detail. If there is a metal-made portion ofthe driving part, the metal-made portion may not be exposed to waterdirectly and corrosion may be prevented accordingly.

Here, the cabinet may not be provided, different from the embodiment ofthe present invention. For example, a built-in laundry machine may beprovided in a wall, instead of the cabinet. That is, the laundry machinemay be fabricated without the cabinet configured to define the exteriorappearance of the laundry machine. Even in this case, the front part ofthe cabinet may be formed.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

The present invention has following advantageous effects.

According to the laundry machine of the present invention, a drum typelaundry machine having a totally different new structure is provided. Asa result, the vibration of the drum is not transmitted to the tub and itmay be suspendingly supported.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide furtherunderstanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this application, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure andtogether with the description serve to explain the principle of thedisclosure.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 an exploded perspective view illustrating a laundry machineaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective view illustrating a tub front of thelaundry machine;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view illustrating a tub rear of the laundrymachine;

FIG. 5 is a perspective illustrating a suspension of the laundry machineaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a coupling state between the tub andthe suspension provided in the laundry machine according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view illustrating a tub front of thelaundry machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view illustrating a tub rear of thelaundry machine according to the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view illustrating a heater sump of the laundrymachine according to the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the specific embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a laundry machineaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the laundry machine includes a tub fixedly to acabinet 60. The tub 10 includes a tub front 100 configured to define afront portion of the tub 10 and a tub rear 120 configured to define arear portion of the tub 10. The tub front 100 and the tub rear 120 areassembled by screws and a predetermined space is formed in the assembletub front and tub rear 120 to accommodate a drum 30. The tub 10 mayfurther include a tub back configured to form a rear surface of the tub10 and the tub back is connected with the tub rear 120 via a rear gasket250. The rear gasket 250 may be made of flexible material not totransmit the vibration of the tub back 130.

The cabinet defines an exterior appearance of the laundry machine and itincludes a cabinet front (not shown), a cabinet rear 620, a cabinet left640, a cabinet right 630, a cabinet top (not shown) and a cabinet base600.

The tub rear 120 has a rear surface 128 and the rear surface 128 of thetub rear 120, the tub back 130 and the rear gasket 250 forms a rearsurface of the tub 10. The rear gasket 250 is sealed and connected withboth of the tub back 130 and the tub rear 120, such that wash waterinside the tub 10 may not leak. The tub back 130 is rotated togetherwith the drum 30 when the drum 30 is rotated. At this time, the tub back130 is distant from the tub rear 120 a predetermined distance not tointerfere with the tub rear 120. Since the rear gasket 250 is made offlexible, the tub back 130 is relative-moved, not interfering with thetub rear 120. The rear gasket 250 may include a corrugated part (252,see FIG. 4) extendible enough to enable this relative-motion.

A foreign substance preventing material 200 is provided in a front partof the tub front 100 to prevent foreign substances from coming betweenthe tub 10 and the drum 30. The foreign substance preventing material200 is flexible material and it is fixedly installed to the tub front100. Here, the foreign substance preventing material 200 may be made ofa predetermined material identical to the material of rear gasket 250.

The drum 30 is configured of a drum front 300, a drum center 320 and adrum back 340. Ball balancers may be installed in front and rear partsof the drum 30, respectively. The drum back 340 is connected with aspider 350 and the spider 350 is connected with a shaft 351. The drum 30is rotated in the tub 10 by a rotational force transmitted via the shaft351.

The shaft 351 is directly connected with a motor, passing through thetub back 130. Specifically, a rotor (not shown) of the motor is directlyconnected with the shaft 351. A bearing housing 400 is coupled to a rearsurface 128 of the tub back 130 and the bearing housing 400 rotatablysupports the shaft 351, located between the motor and the tub back 130.

A stator is fixedly installed in the bearing housing 400 and the rotoris located around the stator. As mentioned above, the rotor is directlyconnected with the shaft 351. Here, the motor may be an outer rotor typemotor connected with the shaft 351 directly.

A suspension unit (40, see FIG. 5) located from the cabinet base 600 tosupport the bearing housing 400. The suspension unit 40 includes threespring cylinder damper 500, 5100, and 520 and two cylinder damper 530and 540 configured to obliquely support the bearing housing 400 in aforward and backward direction. The suspension unit 40 is connected tothe cabinet base 600 flexibly to allow the drum 30 to move inforward/backward and rightward/leftward direction, not completely fixedto the cabinet base 600.

That is, the suspension unit 40 is flexible enough to allow thepredetermined forward/backward and rightward/leftward rotation of thedrum 30 with respect to the supporting point of the suspension unitconnected with the cabinet base 600. Perpendicular suspensions may beinstalled in the cabinet base 600 in the media of a rubber bushing (notshown). Perpendicular ones of the suspensions are used to suspend thevibration of the drum 30 elastically and oblique ones of them are usedto dampen the vibration of the drum 30. That is, the perpendicular oneis employed as spring out of a vibration system including a spring anddamping means and the oblique ones as damping means.

The other parts of the tub 10 may be fixedly installed to the cabinet,except the tub back 130 and the vibration of the drum 30 is suspendedand supported by the suspension unit. Substantially, the tub 10 and thedrum 30 have a separate supporting structure. Even if the drum 30 isvibrated, the tub 10 may not be vibrated.

As follows, each element will be described in detail.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating the tub front 100. The tub front100 includes a donut-shaped perpendicular front surface provided in afront portion of a cylindrical surface composing a predetermined portionof a side wall of the tub. A rear portion of the cylindrical surface isopen as it is and the rear portion includes a plurality of securingholes 110 formed therein. The securing holes 110 are secured tocorresponding securing holes (127, see FIG. 4) of the tub rear 120.

A rim part 101 is extended forward from an inner circumferential surfaceof the front surface of the tub front 100. The width of the rim part 101is getting narrower downward from the top and substantially the rim part101 may not be formed at a lower portion of an inner corner of the frontsurface.

In the rim part 101 may be formed a water supply inlet 104 configured tosupply wash water, a hot air inlet 103 which will be used in a dryingcourse, a circulating-water inlet 106 configured to drawn the wash watercirculated by a circulation pump there through and a steam inlet 105configured to draw steam there through.

Since the vibration of the tub 10 is noticeably reduced in the laundrymachine according to the present invention, a water supply structure ofa water supply hose, a drying structure of a drying duct and a steamsupply structure, a circulating-water supply structure and the like maybe implemented stably.

The hot air inlet 103 may be extended from the rim part 101approximately in a square shape. Here, the hot air inlet 103 is requiredby a laundry machine having washing and drying functions and not by alaundry machine having no drying function.

The water supply inlet 104, the hot air inlet 103 and the like areformed in the front part of the tub front 100. Because of that, thesupply of wash water, hot air and the like may be implemented in thefront part of the tub 10.

The water supply inlet 104 and the other components may be located moreforwardly than a front end of the drum 30 accommodated in the tub 10. Asa result, the wash water, hot air and the like may be directly drawninto the drum 30 via the opening of the drum 30 configured to load thelaundry therein or there out. Since fluidal material supplied to treatthe laundry such as the wash water and hot air may be directly drawninto the drum 30 and this enables the laundry to be treated moreefficiently.

In case detergent is supplied via a detergent box, together with thewash water, the detergent is directly drawn into the drum 30 and theamount of used detergent may be reduced accordingly, such that theamount of wash water may be reduced.

Here, a problem of tub contamination generated by detergent remnantloaded in a bottom of the tub may be solved. In case water is suppliedfrom the front part of the tub, a door glass (not shown) may be washedby the supplied water advantageously.

Even if hot air is supplied via the front portion of the tub, aperpendicular surface of the tub front 100, that is, a front surfacethereof, the hot air flow may be ‘⊂’-shaped, which is a complex air pathformed by the hot air re-bent toward a perpendicular front surface ofthe tub after hot air having flown from the rear portion of the tub isbent downward from a front portion of a upper part of the tub. This‘⊂’-shaped air path will not be helpful to efficient hot air flow.However, when the hot air inlet 103 is formed in the rim part 101 of thetub front 100, the hot air may be bend perpendicularly one time and itmay flow smoothly.

The water inlet 104 and the other holes may be located beyond a centerof the drum.

Because of that, the wash water and the like may be supplied to the druminside from a front upper portion of the drum. If it is necessary tosupply the wash water and the like to the drum inside from a front lowerportion of the drum, the rim part 101 of the tub front 100 may be formedin a lower portion of the front surface part 112. if it is necessary tosupply the wash water and the like in a right and left direction, not inthe upward and downward direction mentioned above, the rim part 101 maybe formed in a inner corner center portion 131 of the front surface part112. That is, the appearance of the rim part 101 may be variableaccording to which direction the supplied fluidal material is suppliedalong.

A coupling part 102 is formed in the rim part 101 to couple the foreignsubstance preventing material 200 to the tub front 100. The couplingpart 102 is extended forward from the front end of the rim part 101,having a small cylindrical surface-like shape. Ribs 102 a are formed inan outer circumferential surface of the small cylindrical surface.

Once the coupling part 102 is inserted in the foreign substancepreventing part 200, the foreign substance preventing part 200 may becoupled to the coupling part 102. for that, inserting recesses (notshown) are formed in the foreign substance preventing material 200 andthe small cylindrical surface having the ribs 102 a formed therein isinserted in the inserting recess (not shown).

The tub front 100 is fixedly coupled to the cabinet front (not shown)and coupling bosses 107 a, 107 b, 107 c and 107 d are formed in thefront surface of the tub front 100 for such the fixed coupling,approximately surrounding the rim part 101. After the cabinet front (notshown) is located in a state of the tub front 100 installed, screws arefastened backward to couple the tub front 100 to the cabinet front.

FIG. 3 is a rear view illustrating an inside of the tub front 100. Thesteam inlet 105 may be connected with a seam hose. A steam guide 105 ais formed in the tub front 100 to guide steam drawn via the steam inlet105 toward a drum inside and a circulating-water guide 106 a is formedin the tub front 100 to guide circulating-water drawn via thecirculating-water inlet 106 toward the drum inside. The steam inlet 105,the circulating-water inlet 106, the steam guide 105 a, thecirculating-water guide 106 and the like may be integrally formed withthe tub front 100. The tub front 100 is plastic-injection-molded and thesteam inlet 105 and the other components may be injection-molded as someparts of the tub front 100.

The tub front 100 is coupled to the tub rear 120 to form a predeterminedspace configured to accommodate the drum 30. Here, the tub front 100 andthe tub rear 120 may be screw-fastened to each other. For thisscrew-fastening, a plurality of screw-securing holes 110 may be formedalong a circumference of the rear part of the tub front 100.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the connection among the tub front 100,the tub rear 120, the tub back 130 and the rear gasket 250.

The tub rear 120 is cylindrical-shaped to surround the drum 30 and afront part of the tub rear is open and a rear part of the tub rearincludes a donut-shaped rear surface 128. The front part issealing-coupled to the tub front 100. A diameter of the rear surface 128of the tub rear 120 is larger than an outer diameter of the tub back130. Even when the tub back 130 is vibrated, the tub back 130 is distantfrom the tub rear 120 enough not to interfere with the rear surface 128of the tub rear 120.

The rear gasket 250 is provided between the rear surface 128 of the tubrear 120 and the tub back 130. The rear gasket 250 seals the rearsurface 128 of the tub rear 120 and the tub back 130 and it includes acorrugated part 252 flexible enough not to interfere with the vibrationof the tub back 130.

A hot air inlet 121 is formed in a predetermined portion of the tub rear120 in case of the laundry machine having washing and drying functions.In case of the laundry machine only having the washing function, the hotair outlet 121 may be not provided, of course.

An auxiliary structure configured to fixedly support the tub withrespect to the base is formed in lower parts of the tub rear 120 and thetub front 100.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the suspension unit 40 mounted on thebase 600. FIG. 6 illustrates a coupling state among the tub 100 and 120,the bearing housing 400 and the suspension unit 40.

The bearing housing 400 include a bearing supporting part 401 configuredto support a bearing. A tub back securing part 407 configured to securethe tub back 250 thereto is formed in a front portion of the bearinghousing 400 and a stator securing part 402 configured to secure thestator of the motor thereto is formed in a rear portion of the bearinghousing 400.

Here, the suspension unit 40 includes a first oblique bracket 431, asecond oblique bracket 430, a first suspension bracket 450 and a secondsuspension bracket 440.

A first extension 406 a and a second extension 406 b extended from rightand left side portions of the bearing housing 400 in a radius direction,respectively. The first oblique bracket 431 and the second obliquebracket 430 are connected to the first extension 406 a and the secondextension 406 b, respectively. The first suspension bracket 450 and thesecond suspension bracket 440 are connected to the first oblique bracket431 and the second oblique bracket 430, respectively.

Here, the shapes of the first extension 406 a, the first oblique bracket431, and the first suspension bracket 450, the second extension 406 b,the second oblique bracket 430 and the second suspension bracket 440 arecorresponding to each other. When the laundry is loaded in the drum, thefirst and second oblique brackets 431 and 430 are used to balance thecenter of gravity and they are used as mass in the vibration system ofthe drum.

The suspension unit 40 includes a first spring cylinder damper 520, asecond spring cylinder damper 510 and a third spring cylinder damper 500which are arranged vertically for the vertical suspension and a firstcylinder damper 540 and a second cylinder damper 530 which are arrangedobliquely for the backward suspension.

Here, a single one of the first spring cylinder damper 520, the secondspring cylinder damper 510 and the third spring cylinder damper 500 maybe arranged in a rear portion and the other two may be arranged in frontright and left portions with respect to a center of the base 600. Thefirst cylinder damper 540 and the second cylinder damper 530 may bearranged oblique forward and backward from rear right and left sideswith respect to the center of the base 600, respectively.

Specifically, the first spring cylinder damper 520 is connected betweenthe first suspension bracket 450 and the base 600. The second springcylinder damper 510 is connected between the second suspension bracket440 and the base 600. The third spring cylinder damper 500 is directlyconnected between the bearing housing 400 and the base 600.

The first cylinder damper 540 is obliquely installed between the firstsuspension bracket 450 and a rear portion of the base and the secondcylinder damper 530 is obliquely installed between the second suspensionbracket 440 and a rear portion of the base 600.

That is, the third spring cylinder damper 500 is arranged in a center ofthe rear portion and the first spring cylinder damper 520 and the secondspring cylinder damper 510 are arranged in right and left sides of therear portion. The first cylinder damper 540 and the second cylinderdamper 530 are located on right and left sides of the third springcylinder damper 500. That is, the spring cylinder dampers 500, 510 and520 and the cylinder dampers 530 and 540 are vertically symmetrical.

As follows, a tub front and a tub rear according to an embodiment of thepresent invention will be described in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view illustrating a tub front of thelaundry machine according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a frontperspective view illustrating a tub rear of the laundry machineaccording to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a sectional viewillustrating a heater sump of the laundry machine according to thepresent invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, a front heater securing part 113 is formed in alower portion of an outer circumference of a tub 100 and a heater (150,see FIG. 9) configured to heat the wash water received in the tub 10.

The front heater securing part 113 is distant in a backward directionfrom a front surface of the tub front 100. Because of that, space enoughto install the other components of the laundry machine (e.g. maincontrol device) may be secured.

According to the laundry machine of the present invention, the tub 10may be enlarged enough to be closely close to or to contact with thecabinet 60. In this case, it is difficult to secure installation spacefor the other components and the configuration such as the front heatersecuring part 113 is advantageous to install the other components. Ifthe front surface of the tub 10 is tilted upward, more installationspace for the other components may be secure.

A flat part (114, see FIG. 2) may be formed in a front lower portion ofthe tub 10. The outer circumferential surface of the tub 10 isapproximately curved and the flat part 112 is formed flat. An outershape of the front surface is approximately a circumference, except theflat part 114.

Since the tub 10 is tilted, a front portion of the flat part 114 ishigher than a rear portion thereof. A heater 150 is inserted from therear portion of the flat part 114 into the tub. A bottom of the tub 10includes a heater inserting part extended downward from a rear end ofthe flat part 114 and the heater 150 is inserted in the heater insertingpart via a securing hole 115 formed in the heater inserting part 116.

A water wall rib 112 is further formed in the front surface of the tubfront 100, beyond the flat part 112, to prevent leaking water generatedfrom the front surface from flowing to the flat part 114. This isbecause the heater 150 located below the leaking water should not makethe flat part 114 have a short circuit. This water wall rib 112 may havea convex center to make the leaking water flow along both sides of thewater wall rib 112.

In this case, another rib extended to the lower part of the tub front122 may be further provided adjacent to the water wall rib 112. Therightward and leftward width of the water wall rib 112 may be as largeas to cover a terminal of the heater 150 located under the water wallrib.

The front heater securing part 113 is projected downward a predetermineddistance from a lower surface of the tub front 100. This is because theheater 150 should not interfere with the drum rotating in the tub 10.such the front heater securing part 113 will be described in detail,after describing the tub rear 120 and a rear heater securing part (122,see FIG. 9) formed in the tub rear 120.

A rear heater securing part 122 corresponding to the front heatersecuring part 113 is provided in an inner bottom of a tub rear body,oblique to a front part of the tub rear 120, and an end of the heater150 is located in the rear heater securing part 122 to drain the washwater held in the tub 10. This rear heater securing part 122 is employedas drainage sump configured to drain wash water, because the tub rear120 is coupled to the tub front 100.

A drainage hole 123 is formed in the rear heater securing part 122 and adrainage hose (not shown) is connected with the drainage hole 123 toflow the wash water drained via the drainage hole 123 thereto. For that,first and second oblique surfaces 124 a and 124 b, which are obliquedownward to the drainage hole 123, are formed in lower surfaces of thefront heater securing part 113 and the rear heater securing part 122.

An end of the heater 150 secured in the front heater securing part 113and the rear heater securing part 122 is oblique downward at apredetermined angle, to prevent contact with the drum 30 when vibrationis generated by the rotation of the drum 30. The oblique angle of theheater 150 may be smaller than the tilting angle of the tub 10. If theoblique angle of the heater 150 is larger than the tilting angle of thetub 10, the front heater securing part 113 and the rear heater securingpart 122 may be more projected downward. Because of that, spaciouslimitation may be generated.

Also, in a state that the lower surface of the drum 30 is placed on thelower surface of the tub 10 by dropping the drum to the lower surface ofthe tub rightly, the heater 150 may be located below the lower surfaceof the drum 30. Once the tub 10 and the drum 30 are assembled, theheater 150 is secured to the cabinet base 600. At this time, if the drum30 is lost, the drum 30 happens to fall down to the lower surface of thetub 10. Because of that, in an aspect of the protection of the heater150, the heater 150 may be located as mentioned above. For that, if astraight line is drawn from a front top of the front heater securingpart 113 to a rear top of the rear heater securing part 122, the heater150 may be located under the straight line.

In the meanwhile, the distance from the lower surface of the tub rear120 to the lower surface of the rear heater securing part 122, that is,the height of the rear heater securing part 122 may be getting decreasedmore and more as coming along backward. In case the tub 10 is tilted, avertical distance between the rear part of the tub and the cabinet base600 is smaller than a vertical distance between the front part of thetub 10 and the cabinet base 600.

As a result, a sectional shape of the inner space of the heater securingpart formed by the front heater securing part 113 and the rear heatersecuring part 122 may be an inverted triangle with the drainage hole 123as a summit, seen in the side (see FIG. 9).

As follows, the connecting structure of the tub back 130 and the bearinghousing 400 of the laundry machine according to the present inventionwill be described.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present inventionwithout departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it isintended that the present invention cover the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A laundry machine comprising: a tub to receive wash water; a drumrotatably placed in the tub; a shaft connected with the drum; a drivingpart comprising a shaft connected with the drum, a bearing housing torotatably support the shaft and a motor to rotate the shaft; asuspension unit to reduce vibration of the drum; and a heater securingpart expanded to an outside of the tub from a lower part of the tub, theheater securing part configured to install the heater to heat the washwater therein.
 2. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein alower front surface of the tub is cut and recessed backward to form afront surface of the heater securing part.
 3. The laundry machine asclaimed in claim 2, wherein a heater is inserted through the frontsurface of the heater securing part.
 4. The laundry machine as claimedin claim 3, wherein the front surface of the heater securing part a hasa hole configured to secure the heater thereto.
 5. The laundry machineas claimed in claim 4, wherein the front surface of the tub includes awater wall rib above the cut flat portion to detour water away from theheater mounted portion.
 6. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 5,wherein the water wall rib has a center which is convex upward.
 7. Thelaundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heater securing partis a sump configured to collect wash water therein.
 8. The laundrymachine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tub comprises a tub frontconfigured to form a front part of the tub and a tub rear configured toform a rear part of the tub, and the heater securing part comprises afront heater securing part formed in a lower part of the tub front and arear heater securing part formed in a lower part of the tub rear.
 9. Thelaundry machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein a lower front surface ofthe tub front is cut and recessed backward to form a front surface ofthe heater securing part.
 10. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 8,wherein the front heater securing part is getting more and more obliquedownward along a backward direction.
 11. The laundry machine as claimedin claim 8, wherein a drainage hole is formed in a center of the rearheater securing part to drain the wash water there through.
 12. Thelaundry machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein both sides of the rearheater securing part are oblique upward with respect to the drainagehole.
 13. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heateris obliquely installed to locate a rear end thereof below a front endthereof.
 14. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein thesuspension unit is connected with the bearing housing.
 15. The laundrymachine as claimed in claim 14, wherein the suspension unit comprises anaxially-extended bracket extended in a rotational axis direction of thedrum.
 16. The laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprisinga rear gasket configured to seal between the tub and the driving part toprevent wash water from leaking between the tub and the driving part andto allow the driving part to move relatively to the tub.
 17. The laundrymachine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tub is supported more rigidlythan the drum is supported.